New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Ocean Shores NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Ocean Shores, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Ocean Shores NSW is 5,777 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Ocean Shores is $711 per week ($36,972 per year). Median rent in Ocean Shores is $508 per week ($2,201 per month). Ocean Shores has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Ocean Shores has a population density of 449.6 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Ocean Shores is England. The most common religion is No Religion (62% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Ocean Shores is $1,893.

There were 40 recorded offences in Ocean Shores in 2025-26, a rate of 7 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (13 offences).

Ocean Shores Map

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Ocean Shores Population

residents (Census 2021)

Ocean Shores Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$711/wk

$36,972 per year

#5279 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$508/wk

$2,201 per month

#567 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

43years

5 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,893/mo

Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.8 per bedroom

Ocean Shores Demographics

Gender Split

Male 45.2% (2,614) Female 54.8% (3,164)

Population Density

449.6

people per km²

5,777 people · 12.9 km²

Households

2.4

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$1,743

Family income/wk

Ocean Shores Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Ocean Shores Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

52.3% 812 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

47.7% 740 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Ocean Shores Country of Birth

Australia

90.3%

England

5.3%

Germany

1.0%

Brazil

0.9%

France

0.7%

Canada

0.7%

India

0.6%

Chile

0.3%

Fiji

0.1%

Indonesia

0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Ocean Shores Religion

No Religion

62.1%

Catholic

11.7%

Not stated

11.3%

Anglican

7.7%

Buddhism

2.3%

Judaism

1.7%

Uniting Church

1.7%

Christian (other)

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Ocean Shores Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

65.1%

Year 10 or equivalent

23.4%

Year 11 or equivalent

7.7%

Year 9 or equivalent

3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Ocean Shores Languages Spoken at Home

Other

30.3%

German

20.9%

Spanish

11.4%

Italian

10.9%

Portuguese

9.0%

French

8.0%

Japan

6.0%

IAL Punjabi

3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Ocean Shores Employment

💼

Employed full-time

25.9% 1,092 people

⏰

Employed part-time

31.2% 1,316 people

🔍

Unemployed

3.8% 160 people

🏠

Not in labour force

39.1% 1,651 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Ocean Shores Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

32.5%

Certificate III/IV

29.8%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

21.0%

Postgraduate Degree

9.2%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

5.6%

Certificate I/II

1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Ocean Shores Occupation

Professionals

33.4%

Technicians & Trade Workers

16.0%

Community & Personal Service

14.3%

Managers

13.0%

Clerical & Administrative

9.1%

Sales Workers

6.0%

Labourers

5.8%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Ocean Shores Field of Study

Management & Commerce

15.8%

Health

14.9%

Society & Culture

14.3%

Education

11.2%

Creative Arts

9.8%

Engineering

9.2%

Architecture & Building

8.5%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

7.2%

Agriculture & Environment

4.1%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.9%

Information Technology

2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Ocean Shores Dwelling Types

Separate house

89.7%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

6.7%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

3.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Ocean Shores Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.2%

$1-$149/wk

1.1%

$150-$299/wk

1.7%

$300-$399/wk

2.9%

$400-$499/wk

6.7%

$500-$649/wk

5.3%

$650-$799/wk

7.4%

$800-$999/wk

7.2%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.2%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

7.5%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.9%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

14.2%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

6.9%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

5.2%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

2.9%

$4,000+/wk

5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Ocean Shores Marital Status

💍

Married

34.7% 1,665

↔️

Separated

3.4% 165

📋

Divorced

14.3% 685

🕊️

Widowed

4.3% 206

👤

Never married

43.3% 2,081

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Ocean Shores Ancestry

English

30.9%

Australian

24.5%

Irish

11.9%

Other

9.6%

Scottish

9.1%

German

4.6%

Italian

3.1%

Aboriginal Australianralian

1.9%

Dutch

1.6%

French

1.2%

Polish

0.9%

Russian

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Ocean Shores School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

31.4%

Secondary — Government

17.2%

Vocational Education

15.5%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

11.6%

Pre-school

10.6%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

5.9%

Secondary — Catholic

4.7%

Primary — Catholic

3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Ocean Shores Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

4.9% 522

✅

No need for assistance

95.1% 10,064

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Ocean Shores Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

19.7% 864

—

Not a volunteer

80.3% 3,532

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Ocean Shores Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

6.8%

$300-$449/mo

3.2%

$450-$599/mo

1.7%

$600-$799/mo

4.1%

$800-$999/mo

5.0%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

11.8%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

15.9%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

26.6%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

13.6%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

11.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Ocean Shores How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

71.1%

Did not go to work

19.9%

Car (passenger)

4.4%

Walked only

2.1%

Other

0.7%

Truck

0.6%

Bicycle

0.6%

Bus

0.2%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Ocean Shores Car Ownership

0 vehicles

2.7%

1 vehicle

35.0%

2 vehicles

41.8%

3 vehicles

14.7%

4+ vehicles

5.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Ocean Shores Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

4.5%

2 bedrooms

12.4%

3 bedrooms

53.2%

4 bedrooms

25.2%

5 bedrooms

4.2%

6+ bedrooms

0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Ocean Shores Population Mobility

17.2%

moved in the last year

44.7%

moved in the last 5 years

5.9%

unemployment rate (Census)

57.7%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Ocean Shores Indigenous Population

3.1%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

330

Indigenous residents

10,393

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Ocean Shores Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

503

Arthritis

184

Asthma

169

Heart disease

124

Lung condition

124

Cancer

Diabetes

Stroke

Kidney disease

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Ocean Shores Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

8.3%

$1-$149/wk

4.2%

$150-$299/wk

6.8%

$300-$399/wk

4.8%

$400-$499/wk

4.7%

$500-$649/wk

5.2%

$650-$799/wk

12.1%

$800-$999/wk

12.4%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

13.2%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.3%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

7.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.5%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

6.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.2%

$3,500+/wk

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Ocean Shores Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

38.5%

Couple — no children

29.2%

Couple — no children under 15

12.4%

One parent — children under 15

11.0%

One parent — no children under 15

9.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Ocean Shores Military Service

🏅

Previously served

2.4% 107

👤

Never served

97.6% 4,302

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Ocean Shores Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

14.9% 654

—

Did not provide

85.1% 3,739

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Ocean Shores Children Ever Born

No children

35.7%

1 child

17.1%

2 children

27.4%

3 children

15.3%

4 children

3.9%

5+ children

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Ocean Shores When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

102

1971–1980

118

1981–1990

164

1991–2000

149

2001–2010

214

2011–2015

128

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Ocean Shores Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

22.4%

5–14 hours

34.1%

15–29 hours

15.5%

30+ hours

9.4%

Did not do domestic work

18.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Ocean Shores Household Size

1 person

25.8%

2 persons

36.6%

3 persons

17.0%

4 persons

13.4%

5 persons

5.1%

6+ persons

2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Ocean Shores Where Residents Moved From

Same address

4,373

Moved from NSW

390

Moved — same area (SA2)

280

Moved from QLD

Moved from VIC

Moved from overseas

Moved from NT

Moved from ACT

Moved from TAS

Moved from WA

Moved from SA

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Ocean Shores Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

83.9%

Step family — no other children

10.4%

Blended family — no other children

4.1%

Step family — other children present

1.1%

Other couple — children only

0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Ocean Shores Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 40 total

Theft

Assault

Property Damage

Other Against Person

Sexual Offences

Other Against Property

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Ocean Shores Schools

schools nearby

government

1051

avg ICSEA score

294

total students

Ocean Shores Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 294 students

1051

ICSEA

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Ocean Shores with map →

Ocean Shores Rent Prices & Affordability

35%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,471/wk

Median Rent $508/wk

Rent-to-Income 34.5%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Ocean Shores

Your weekly income

≈ $6,374/month

Median rent $508/wk

Left after rent $963/wk

Rent share 34.5%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Coleambally

Income: $841/wk Rent: $180/wk Save: $328/wk

Bolton Point

Income: $623/wk Rent: $267/wk Save: $241/wk

Molong

Income: $727/wk Rent: $270/wk Save: $238/wk

Casino

Income: $591/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $228/wk

Denman

Income: $721/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $228/wk

Boggabri

Income: $695/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $208/wk

Bega

Income: $660/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $188/wk

Maitland (NSW)

Income: $635/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $188/wk

Ocean Shores vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

East Killara

Pop: 2,895 Income: $905/wk Rent: $1,000/wk

Whitebridge

Pop: 2,900 Income: $933/wk Rent: $410/wk

Evans Head

Pop: 2,907 Income: $638/wk Rent: $321/wk

Chiswick

Pop: 2,909 Income: $1,447/wk Rent: $600/wk

Wyee

Pop: 2,909 Income: $623/wk Rent: $360/wk

Sandy Beach

Pop: 2,913 Income: $763/wk Rent: $420/wk

Compare Ocean Shores

Ocean Shores vs East Killara →Ocean Shores vs Whitebridge →Ocean Shores vs Evans Head →Ocean Shores vs Chiswick →

Frequently Asked Questions About Ocean Shores

What is the population of Ocean Shores NSW?

The population of Ocean Shores NSW is 5,777 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 449.6 people per km².Ocean Shores is ranked #1,362 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Ocean Shores?

The median personal income in Ocean Shores NSW is $711 per week, or $36,972 per year.The median household income is $1,471 per week.Family income is $1,743 per week.Ocean Shores is ranked #5,279 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Ocean Shores?

Median rent in Ocean Shores NSW is $508 per week ($2,201 per month).Rent represents 34.5% of household income, which is considered moderate.Ocean Shores ranks #567 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Ocean Shores?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Ocean Shores NSW is $1,893. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Ocean Shores?

The median age in Ocean Shores NSW is 43 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Ocean Shores a good suburb to live in?

Ocean Shores is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 5,777.The median income is $711/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (34.5% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13081. All dollar figures in AUD.